Voters Confront Ballot Question Bombardment; Face Big Decisions on Heated Races

Key Local Issues Highlight November 5 Showdown

Trevor Phipps

With the Nov. 5 election D-day looming, many local voters are already trying to decipher what some experts proclaim as the longest and most extensive ballot in recent history.

At least for the 2024 election, insiders say the ballot mailed to area and state electors has become probably one of the most complex compiled in the entire country, equipped with a barrage of national, state and regional races, judge retentions and an epic-level of state ballot questions. And then to top of the ballot lineup, there are some key local propositions that could play a big role in determining the future fiscal fate of the Woodland Park school district and the local ambulance company.

Key Races and Questions
Luckily, during one of the country’s strangest presidential election years, it’s been all quit on the local front when it comes to contested races, with no competitive contests at the Teller County level.  Even though the presidential race between former President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris  has turned into an unprecedented battle, no contested competitions have occurred locally.

But when it comes to ballot measures, election 2024 may be setting a new record.

Statewide there are a total of 14 ballot measures that range in diverse topics from banning mountain lion hunting and eliminating the right to bail for murder suspects, to allowing for more school choice options constitutionally and even to changing the way veterinarian services are operated. There is hardly any political subject that is left untouched with the state ballot issues.

As for state and regional races of interest, citizens will decide who will be the next State Representative for District 60 (Kathryn Green or incumbent Stephanie Luck), and who will be the next 4th Judicial District Attorney (Jeremy Dowell or incumbent Michael Allen). The 7th Congressional District will mainly showcase a race between incumbent Democrat Brittany Pettersen and Republican challenger Sergei Matveyuk.

On the Teller County stage, there are three elected offices at stake. However, the county treasurer and county commissioner districts 1 and 3 are all running unopposed. Incumbent County Commissioners Dan Williams and Erik Stone are running solo on the ballot along with incumbent Treasurer Krystal Brown.

Teller County voters will be tasked with answering three total questions. Woodland Park residents, meanwhile, will be voting on four issues. This scenario got more controversial when a question to repeal the sales tax increase for the RE-2 District school district was recently put onto the city’s ballot by the Woodland Park City Council. The county questions include whether or not the county coroner and county surveyor offices should be limited to two consecutive four-year terms or not.

The Ute Pass Regional Health Service District has also put a measure on the ballot,  which will appear in Teller, Douglas and Park Counties. This marks the second consecutive time a similar measure has been on the ballot, asking voters to raise sales tax in the county by one percent to financially aid ambulance services in the region.

School Fight

Similar to past trends, the local ballot issues may take center stage, even though the presidential election has grabbed most of the national headlines.

Once it was official that the ballot question to repeal the 1.09 percent sales tax increase for the Woodland Park RE-2 school district secured a spot on the ballot, local interest in the forthcoming election escalated dramatically. In fact, this issue has commanded much attention in the last month.

A number of local leaders have spoken against getting rid of the tax increase. In fact, a group called Woodland Park Schools Community Coalition has launched a strong campaign urging residents to vote “no” on the Woodland Park ballot issue, 2A, which would end the 1.09 percent sales tax increase if passed. This issue was originally approved by the voters in 2016.

Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell and School Board President Mick Bates have both classified the question to repeal the sales tax increase as a retaliatory measure directed at the school board and one that is politically motivated. In essence, they contend the 2A issue was organized by critics of the current school board. The board has taken a much more conservative stance on issues than previous RE-2 elected panels.

“This is bad politics,” Mikesell said. “I think this proposal was really a vendetta from several different (Woodland Park) city council members that really wanted to see the schools hurt. But it is going to hurt students all over the county not just in the city of Woodland Park. Most of those students don’t even come from the city of Woodland Park, they come from other areas in the county.”

The sheriff also said that the $3 million reduction for the school district (if 2A passes) could cause a drastic cut in services offered by the district and in extracurricular activities. Moreover, he cited security as one of the prime services that could get slashed, when funds are decreased.

Another concern by 2A opponents is that if the school district’s budget gets cut so drastically, the district would most likely have to ask for money from the county (possibly in the form of a property tax raise) to make up for the funds they lost.

“What are we teaching our kids?” the sheriff asked. “Just because we are angry at something, or we don’t like something, we are going to get into a position of political power and attempt to take something away. I think that is sad. We all have to do something to keep our school and our kids where they are at. It doesn’t matter whether I like the schools or the administration or don’t like them; it’s not about them, it’s about those kids.”

However, proponents of the ballot issue have argued that enough is enough regarding the actions of the current RE-2 administration, and that more accountability is needed. They have spoken at city council meetings, claiming that the school district has misused funds. Also, many citizens have said that they don’t like the idea of paying both property taxes and sales taxes to a school district, which is not being run properly.

More specifically, RE-2 administration critics have blamed the school district of allocating more funds to Merit Academy, and favoring the charter school over the other traditional schools in the district. Some  have also pointed out that the school district doesn’t need the sales tax increase after it already received a drastic hike in revenue from property taxes, following a recent historic raise in property valuations.

The Woodland Park Schools Community Coalition group held a public meeting last week to further outline its position in opposing the ballot question and to field questions from the public.  Their campaign has been capped by extensive signage and local advertising and letters in area media outlets, while the pro 2A proponents have mostly relied on past criticisms of the current school board and in posts on social media platforms.  At the same time, the pro group has received some support from the current Woodland Park City Council, which voted 4-3 to put the issue on the ballot.

Local Ambulance Funds Needed

Another question gaining much traction in the 2024 election is a proposed one percent sales tax increase by the Ute Pass Regional Health Service District. This ballot issue is referred to as 7A.

During the county election last year, the Ute Pass Regional Health Service District (UPRHSD) asked for a similar sales tax hike. They also promised  they would temporarily lower the mill levy if the sales tax increase was passed. However, the earlier questions proposed by UPRHSD during the 2023 election failed by nearly 1,000 votes.

But with growing expenses and calls for service in the UPRHD area, the campaign drums are beating again for leaders of the ambulance district.

The main message given by UPRHSD’s CEO Tim Dienst is that the local ambulance services are stretched very thin with limited ambulances and paramedics to cover a wide geographic range, which spans over four counties in the region. He also pointed out during a recent Woodland Park City Council meeting that tourists coming into the area use more services than residents, but don’t pay their fair share.

The bottom line is that if sales the taxes within the ambulance district were raised by one percent, those visiting the region would end up paying for the ambulance services that they use more than residents. The extra funds would also help UPRHSD better retain employees, upgrade their equipment and increase the scope of services offered.

This plan has gotten the support of key law enforcement leaders and emergency service providers in Teller.

“I think at a certain point we need ambulances,” Mikesell said, in supporting this issue. “There comes a point where this county has been so far behind, we are one of the lowest tax bases in the state. I don’t like paying taxes either, but the problem is those services are getting more expensive. It’s just like inflation, the costs of an ambulance now are unbelievable. And do we just not do it so we have less ambulance to deal with? A lot of it is due to inflation that we are seeing all across the country, it’s not just us.”

Proponents of this ballot issue recently held a rally in Memorial Park in Woodland Park. To date, no formal group has opposed this effort.